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RCR Post Race Report – Dover 200

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Myatt Snider and the TaxSlayer Chevrolet Battle Miles the Monster at Dover International Speedway

Finish: 16th
Start: 15th
Points: 9th

“Our Richard Childress Racing team is one of the best in the garage and my guys bring great Chevrolet Camaros to the track each and every week. Today at Dover International Speedway didn’t go as we had hoped, but Andy Street (crew chief) kept making adjustments to the car on every stop and I searched from the top to bottom to find a line that would work best for TaxSlayer Chevrolet. Dover is a very difficult track for me personally as a driver. You drive this place differently than any other track we go to. For whatever reason, concrete tracks seem to give me a harder time than asphalt surfaces, but I learned a lot that can be carried into the future. I’m looking forward to going to COTA for the first time next week and getting back on a road course to turn left and right.” -Myatt Snider

Toyota Racing – Dover NXS Post-Race Report – 05.15.21

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GIBBS LEADS TOYOTA IN DOVER
Ty Gibbs scores his fourth top-five finish in his first five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts

DOVER, Del. (May 15, 2021) – Ty Gibbs (fifth), Harrison Burton (sixth) and Daniel Hemric (ninth) drove their Toyota Supras to top-10 finishes in the Drydene 200 at Dover International Speedway on Saturday afternoon.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Dover International Speedway
Race 10 of 33 – 200 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Austin Cindric*
2nd, Josh Berry*
3rd, Justin Allgaier*
4th, AJ Allmendinger*
5th, TY GIBBS
6th, HARRISON BURTON
9th, DANIEL HEMRIC
27th, MATT MILLS
30th, TIMMY HILL
32nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHECK
35th, BRANDON JONES
39th, MATT JASKOL
40th, DAVID STARR
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 5th

How was your Xfinity debut at Dover this afternoon?

“We were pretty solid. We kind of fired off a little free and we kind of chased free the whole race. I made mistakes. I’ll go back and look at those. People were running me hard, and you can’t really go anywhere when someone is on your door. It just a hard track for me. I feel like this is one of my harder ones. I feel like I’m learning as I go. I’m kind of frusterated. I think I could have ran a little better. We had a good day overall. I will take a top-five anyday. We will keep on going.”

What have you learned the last two days at Dover?

“I feel like the biggest thing is your really don’t know where the track is going. It could rubber up, and sometimes I guess it didn’t rubber up at all. That’s just one of the biggest things – just trying to chase the track a little bit as the tires are getting worn out and you kind of get stuck in dirty air when you are trying to pass a guy. Like I got to the 16 (AJ Allmendinger) and you can’t go anywhere. It’s part of it. I probably could have moved around a little more but I felt like my car was a little bit too loose to run the top. Overall, we had a pretty good day. I can’t thank Monster Energy and Joe Gibbs Racing enough.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Dover (Austin Cindric Pilots Mustang to Victory at Dover)

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR XFINITY Series — Drydene 200
Dover International Speedway | Saturday, May 15, 2021

Ford Finishing Results
1st – Austin Cindric
8th – Ryan Sieg
17th – Riley Herbst

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Car Shop Ford Mustang — Finished 1st

WE DIDN’T SEE THE STRENGTH OUT OF YOU AND YOUR CAR UNTIL THE SECOND HALF OF THE RACE. AT WHAT POINT DID YOU REALIZE YOU HAD THE CAR TO GET THE JOB DONE? “Honestly, from the get-go. It is hard to believe but starting 16th at this joint it isn’t easy to pass. We just kept at it the whole time. We made the right adjustments on pit stops and I feel like I have learned a lot about this race track, enough to get the Car Shop Ford Mustang into victory lane.”

YOU HAD AN EARLY INCIDENT WITH TY GIBBS THAT COULD HAVE CHANGED THIS OUTCOME: “It wasn’t an incident but it was this close to being an incident. For his sake, he is a rookie and he is learning. Hopefully, he learns something from it and doesn’t do it again.”

WHAT MAKES THIS WIN SO SPECIAL FOR YOU? “Every win means so much and everyone that is in this series — I have the unique opportunity to know what I am doing in the future. I respect the guys that I am racing around are trying to get to the top level. I know I have that for me down the road but I have to bring that same energy that I am racing against. These wins are really hard to come by. It sucks that we have had some bad races recently that make this one feel so much better. This is my favorite race track that we go to.”

CHEVROLET NTT INDYCAR SERIES: TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING RECAP

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GMR GRAND PRIX AT ROAD COURSE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY-JOSEF NEWGARDENSCORES FRONT ROW STARTING POSITION

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GMR GRAND PRIX
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
RINUS VEEKAY WINNER’S QUICK QUOTE
MAY 15,2021

TEAM CHEVY DRIVER RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, CAPTURES CAREER-FIRST WIN IN GMR GRAND PRIX ON ROAD COURSE AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY. QUICK WINNER’S QUOTE:

WINNING AT INDIANAPOLIS. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY, DID YOU THINK THIS COULD HAPPEN?
“I actually thought it, yeah. We had an awesome start to the weekend. I knew we had the car; we were so fast. I’m so happy for the team, so thankful. I couldn’t have done it without them. A perfect day. It’s amazing, and thank you to all the friends coming out. Getting my first podium here last year and now winning, it’s a dream.”

OVER THE FINAL FEW LAPS, WERE YOU EVER FAZED BY THE RAIN OR THEM TELLING YOU TO SAVE FUEL OR ANY OF THAT?
“I was not concerned about the fuel. I just hoped the rain was not going to get worse. I’m standing in Victory Lane.”

THE JOURNEY TO GET HERE AND HOW MUCH YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE SUPPORTED YOU. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
“It’s amazing. It’s great to have them here. It’s hard to get them overseas, but it’s a dream come true not just for me but for the team, it’s for the family, everyone at home. I’m extremely grateful. My parents sacrificed everything to get me up here. I’m extremely happy.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Rollan Comes Out on Top of Six-Car Battle for Mazda MX-5 Cup Win at Mid-Ohio

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LEXINGTON, Ohio (May 15, 2021) – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course never disappoints for close wheel-to-wheel racing and Saturday’s Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires was no exception. Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports) was the victor in a six-way battle for the win in an all green-flag 45-minute sprint to the checkered flag. Sam Paley (No. 28 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Justin Piscitell (No. 89 McCumbee McAleer Racing) completed the podium.

Now in his fourth season of Mazda MX-5 Cup racing, Rollan has never had much luck at Mid-Ohio. The 2018 Rookie of the Year felt as though his driving style never quite fit the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course. All that changed when Rollan crossed the finish line 1.552 seconds clear of his nearest competition.

The front row of the grid represented the top two in the Championship coming into Mid-Ohio: Michael Carter (No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises) on pole and Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) starting second. Wagner dropped his tires into the dirt in a few corners early in the race, which gave third-starting Paley plenty of opportunities to challenge him for the runner-up spot and enabled Carter to pull out a small gap.

Soon though, the pack of four cars behind Carter were able to work together and catch the polesitter. When they did, Rollan seized the opportunity to climb up to second and began his bid for the race lead.

Shortly after, Carter had a momentary issue exiting the keyhole that dropped him down the order down to fifth. Rollan was the new leader but being hounded by Paley who was in search of his first MX-5 Cup victory.

Paley led for a lap, but Rollan retook control and pulled away from the field to take his third victory of the season.

“It was good and the car was handling great especially at the end,” Rollan said. “Hixon Motor Sports set up a perfect car. It was really consistent at the end and went where I wanted it to go. I felt bad for [Michael] Carter when he had that problem. I was pushing him and we were trying to get away but then he lost power coming out of the Keyhole. I feel bad for him but on the other hand, for the championship, it’s nice to see podium without Michael [Carter] and Gresham [Wagner] for the points. The car is really good and hopefully we can keep that going in the race tomorrow!”

Paley, a rookie, has been knocking at the door of victory for some time now. He admitted he needed to work on his tire strategy in order to finally get that elusive win.

“Honestly, I didn’t feel any pressure when I was in front,” Paley said. “I felt the pressure more when I was behind and trying to catch up honestly. It was the first time I led this season so that was good. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the pace at the end. I had worked my tires pretty hard early in the race.

“I want to thank BiiND.app for the sponsorship help and to McCumbee McAleer Racing for such a great car. I knew I didn’t have the car at the end, so when I had the chance, I had to take it to make passes. It can be hard to pass here—every inside turns into an outside—you have to go in deep because you are trying to hold the outside when some else is holding the inside and it can go on for more than one corner. I’m happy with the points in the bag. It was a good race and I’m happy to be back on the podium.”

Piscitell started sixth but showed tremendous race pace. He picked his way through the intense six-way battle for the podium and wrestled the final spot away from Wagner in the closing laps of the race.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” Piscitell said. “It feels like I’m long overdue. We’ve had a car for the podium multiple times, but we’ve had some issues here and there; some just bad luck, some my fault. I’m super happy to be here and represent Matty’s Light. I went conservative at the start of the race and gapped P6, and I tried to use the draft and not destroy the tires to save up for a hard charge at the end. I think I waited too long to try to charge back through at the end.”

Wagner eventually crossed the finish line in fourth. He will start on pole for Sunday’s Round Eight race.

Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) completed the top five. Thomas made contact with the tires in Friday’s practice and had to borrow another car to continue taking part in the weekend. Thomas qualified eighth and was on his own for much of the 45-minute race, but he was able to catch the lead pack just in time to finish fifth.

Carter finished sixth.

Luca Mars (No. 41 Copeland Motorsports) won the Hard Charger Award for advancing from 11th to 7th.

MX-5 Cup drivers will have the opportunity to take what they learned today and apply it to Sunday’s Round Eight race, which starts at a nearly identical time: 11:45am ET. The race will be streamed live on IMSA.com/tvlive and NBC Sports Gold TrackPass.

About: The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. Mazda-powered grassroots champions earn a Mazda scholarship to advance their career. The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup champion earns a $250,000 scholarship.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

Ladies Night: Brittany Force, Alexis DeJoria Lead Qualifying After Opening Round at NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals

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Brittany Force set track records in ET and speed with her 3.662 second, 333.08 mph pass during the opening round of qualifying at the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals on Friday. (CMS/HHP photo)
  • Action continues Saturday with second and third-round qualifying; Tickets are still available as capacity limitations were lifted Friday as part of a new executive order by Gov. Roy Cooper

CONCORD, N.C. (May 14, 2021) — A pair of women ruled qualifying on Friday at zMAX Dragway, as Brittany Force and Alexis DeJoria powered to the provisional No. 1 spot in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, during the opening round of qualifying at the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte.

Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the fourth race of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Qualifying continues on Saturday and zMAX Dragway will be able to operate at full capacity. After an executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday, grandstand limitations were lifted, allowing fans to return to zMAX Dragway without limitation.

Force put on a show under the lights on Friday in her 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac dragster, going 3.662-seconds at 333.08 mph to make the quickest and fastest runs in zMAX Dragway history. Force, who also owns both ends of the national record, is in line to grab her second No. 1 qualifier of the 2021 season and 22nd in her career.

“I’m just pumped after a run like that,” Force said. “The four-wide race can be tough and tricky, and I just have to keep my focus. (Crew chief David) Grubnic said we were going to have a killer run, and Grubnic, Mac Savage, and all of my guys, I’m just so proud of them.”

Defending three-time world champ Steve Torrence is second, following Force’s blast with a pass of 3.683 at 316.97. Leah Pruett rounds out the top three after going 3.718 at 324.59. Six drivers made three-second runs under the lights on Friday.

After struggling in Atlanta, DeJoria redeemed herself in a major way in Funny Car, going 3.930 at 301.74 in her 11,000-horsepower ROKit Toyota Camry. If it holds, it would give DeJoria her first No. 1 qualifier this season and fifth in her career. DeJoria was the only driver in the class to make a three-second run on Friday, with drivers getting two more chances on Saturday. DeJoria will look to build on her run as well, while Mike McIntire is currently qualified second after his solid run of 4.019 at 313.15. Dave Richards is in the third spot. DeJoria and McIntire were the only drivers to make 300-mph runs as well.

Pro Stock points leader Anderson raced to the provisional No. 1 spot with a run of 6.524 at 210.50 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Should it hold, it would continue Anderson’s torrid start to the 2021 campaign and give him four straight No. 1 qualifiers this season and 110 in his standout career. Anderson, a four-time world champ, is also after his third win of the season in four races. Aaron Stanfield was a spot behind with a solid pass of 6.533 at 210.67 and Kyle Koretsky is currently third after going 6.535 at 210.87.

Joey Gladstone put on an impressive display in Pro Stock Motorcycle and is in line for his first career No. 1 qualifier. He went a career-best 6.763 at 198.58 on his Precision Service Equipment Suzuki, setting the track record at zMAX Dragway and giving him a great chance for his first top spot. Defending world champ and points leader Matt Smith broke the track speed record en route to the No. 2 spot, going 6.778 at 201.10. It also gives him the fifth-fastest run in Pro Stock Motorcycle history. Eddie Krawiec was a spot behind after his run of 6.828 at 201.07.

In E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series action, points leader Justin Bond is the current No. 1 qualifier after his run of 5.631 at 253.75. It is the second-quickest pass in class history.

Qualifying continues Saturday at the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at 1:15 p.m. ET. Tickets are available at www.zmaxdragway.com.

CONCORD, N.C. — Results Friday after the first one of three rounds of qualifying for the 11th annual NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway, fourth of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. Brittany Force, 3.662 seconds, 333.08 mph; 2. Steve Torrence, 3.683, 316.97; 3. Leah Pruett, 3.718, 324.59; 4. Antron Brown, 3.761, 285.95; 5. Josh Hart, 3.776, 324.44; 6. Clay Millican, 3.810, 312.57; 7. Doug Kalitta, 4.237, 222.47; 8. Billy Torrence, 5.200, 150.60; 9. Shawn Langdon, 6.049, 105.99; 10. Justin Ashley, 6.962, 85.17; 11. Doug Foley, 7.222, 87.67; 12. Arthur Allen, 7.435, 77.86; 13. Kyle Wurtzel, 7.669, 80.72; 14. Krista Baldwin, 8.067, 75.60; 15. Joe Morrison, 8.546, 75.73; 16. Mike Salinas, 9.107, 64.05.

Funny Car — 1. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota Camry, 3.930, 301.74; 2. Mike McIntire, Camry, 4.019, 313.15; 3. Dave Richards, Ford Mustang, 6.857, 90.88; 4. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 7.366, 90.89; 5. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 7.584, 87.52; 6. Ron Capps, Charger, 7.676, 84.83; 7. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 7.788, 89.52; 8. J.R. Todd, Camry, 7.996, 81.66; 9. Cory Lee, Mustang, 8.168, 77.53; 10. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 8.228, 91.12; 11. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 8.230, 74.94; 12. Jim Campbell, Charger, 8.542, 68.16; 13. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 8.615, 51.30; 14. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 8.906, 84.28; 15. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 12.460, 77.35; 16. John Force, Camaro, 14.300, 70.63.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.524, 210.50; 2. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.533, 210.67; 3. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.535, 210.87; 4. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.543, 210.21; 5. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.546, 210.87; 6. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.551, 211.06; 7. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.556, 210.05; 8. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.559, 209.82; 9. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.582, 210.31; 10. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Ford Mustang, 6.588, 209.79; 11. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.592, 210.50; 12. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.601, 210.73; 13. Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.669, 207.18; 14. John Gaydosh Jr, Camaro, 6.955, 195.34; 15. Val Smeland, Camaro, 20.057, 22.97.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.763, 198.58; 2. Matt Smith, EBR, 6.778, 201.10; 3. Eddie Krawiec, Buell, 6.828, 201.07; 4. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.836, 197.33; 5. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.851, 196.44; 6. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.862, 194.72; 7. Angie Smith, EBR, 6.865, 195.19; 8. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 6.866, 195.59; 9. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.874, 194.72; 10. Cory Reed, Suzuki, 6.878, 197.16; 11. Andrew Hines, Buell, 6.914, 199.14; 12. Marc Ingwersen, Buell, 6.914, 195.99; 13. Chip Ellis, EBR, 6.918, 192.03; 14. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 7.053, 193.07; 15. Pablo Gonzalez, Buell, 7.077, 187.52; 16. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 7.080, 186.95. Not Qualified: 17. Ron Tornow, 7.126, 189.76; 18. Jerry Savoie, 7.145, 189.34; 19. Scotty Pollacheck, 7.497, 162.24; 20. Jianna Salinas, 17.439, 38.90; 21. Angelle Sampey, 49.388, 7.08; 22. David Barron, broke.

Henderson Earns Atlanta Speedwerks Third Consecutive IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Pole at Mid-Ohio

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Photo credit Daylon Barr Photography

Brian Henderson Will Start Saturday’s Race First in No. 84 Pagid/Sabelt Honda Civic TCR, Scott Smithson Seventh In TCR Class

LEXINGTON, Ohio (May 14, 2021) – Brian Henderson and Atlanta Speedwerks earned a third consecutive IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR Class pole on Friday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in just three races and will start Saturday’s Mid-Ohio 120 on the front row. Teammate Scott Smithson, making his IMSA debut, will start the race seventh.

The two-hour Mid-Ohio 120, part of the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio, will get the green flag at 3:35 p.m. ET on Saturday. The race can be seen live through TrackPass on the NBC Sports app.

Henderson drove the No. 84 Pagid/Sabelt Honda Civic TCR to the Motul Pole Award with a lap of 1:28.813 (91.526 mph) on the 2.258-mile circuit. That lap also set a new TCR class track record and is the third pole position for the car in as many races this season. Henderson’s co-driver Robert Noaker earned the pole in the season opener at Daytona, while Henderson set the mark at Sebring and now Mid-Ohio.

“We’re really happy to secure that third pole,” Henderson said. “There were a few other cars in contention, so I knew I needed to get as much as I could out of it at the end. I set up, got a big gap and just went for it. It was a pretty good lap and got on the pole. That’s three in a row for us and we’re really happy about that. We’re bringing that into this race and with some good luck and smart driving, we’ll bring it to the end and be on top.”

Smithson, who began racing in 2019 and is making his first IMSA start this weekend, will start seventh after a lap of 1:30.051 (90.268 mph). Smithson will share the No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR with co-driver Ryan Eversley in the two-hour race. Smithson’s 15-minute qualifying session was cut one lap short when, on his final flying lap, he had a temporary issue with the steering wheel that left him just 0.102-second from improving all the way to fifth on the grid.

“It’s a brand-new track for me and being new to the sport it’s hard for me to get up to speed quick,” Smithson said. “That session felt a lot better than practice, I had to adjust a bunch of lines. In my last lap, where the steering wheel came off, I was throwing down a decent lap. I think we’re in good shape for tomorrow. I think we can click off good, solid laps for an hour and hand the car over to Ryan to bring it home.”

With qualifying complete, Atlanta Speedwerks turns its full attention to Saturday’s race. Eversley, who co-drove the opening two rounds with Greg Strelzoff, sits second in the Championship standings with the No. 84 car second in the team championship.

About Atlanta Speedwerks
Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, arrive and drive programs, and performance parts. Headquartered near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Club of America and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.

Ty Gibbs earns first Monster Trophy in ‘General Tire 125’ ARCA Menards Series East race

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DOVER, Del. (May 14, 2021) – Last August, in another ARCA Menards Series East race, Ty Gibbs dominated at Dover before a late crash ended his chance for victory.

Gibbs made sure history did not repeat itself on Friday as another strong effort finally led to a Monster Trophy as he won the “General Tire 125” ARCA Menards Series East race at Dover International Speedway.

Gibbs started from the pole position and led all 125 laps on his way to the checkered flag. It is the first ARCA Menards Series East race in track history to have just one leader throughout the event.

“I’m really thankful to run here,” Gibbs said. “I learned a lot for tomorrow.”

The 18-year-old will start 14th in Saturday’s “Drydene 200” NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash race (1:30 p.m., FS1).

Gibbs’ stiffest challenge came on the final restart on Lap 107, when he was side by side with Josh Berry for most of two laps before finally clearing him.

“I ran really hard and Josh ran hard,” Gibbs said. “There’s no other way to get by them.”

Gibbs, driving the No. 18 Toyota for his grandfather’s famed Joe Gibbs Racing team, beat Berry to the checkered flag. NASCAR Cup Series veteran David Gilliland was third, followed by ARCA Menards Series East points leader Sammy Smith in fourth and Max Gutierrez in fifth.

Some contenders had their race end before the final stages of the 125-lap event.

Jesse Love, the 2020 ARCA Menards Series West champion, completed just 20 laps before engine troubles forced his car to the garage.

Later, race officials added two extra competition cautions and granted each team four more tires to alleviate scarcity following early wear issues. Drew Dollar, Justin Carroll and Rajah Caruth all had tire issues before Lap 75 that led to hard, single-car crashes and ended their chances for a victory.

Nine cars finished on the lead lap, including Smith, who was two laps down early before finishing fourth.

Dover International Speedway’s NASCAR tripleheader weekend continues on Saturday with the “Drydene 200” NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash race, followed by the “Drydene 400” NASCAR Cup Series race (2 p.m., FS1) on Sunday.

About Dover Motorsports, Inc.

Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD) is a promoter of NASCAR sanctioned motorsports events whose subsidiaries own and operate Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del., and Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. The company also plays host to the Firefly Music Festival, produced by AEG Presents. For more information, visit www.DoverMotorsports.com.

Grosjean Stuns Field with NTT P1 Award At GMR Grand Prix

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INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 14, 2021) – Talk about making an entrance.

Former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean won the NTT P1 Award for the GMR Grand Prix on Friday afternoon on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, making ripples across the motorsports world by earning his first career NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole in just his third start.

Rookie Grosjean turned a top lap of 1 minute, 9.4396 seconds in the No. 51 NURTEC ODT Honda during the Firestone Fast Six final round of qualifying. This was Grosjean’s first open-wheel pole since he claimed the top spot in GP2 — the final ladder series leading into Formula One — in May 2011 at Istanbul, Turkey.

Frenchman Grosjean, 35, came to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES this season with Dale Coyne Racing with RWR after 10 seasons in Formula One. His F1 career ended in a fiery crash last November in Bahrain in which he escaped an inferno with serious burns to his hands, endearing himself to fans around the world with his optimistic spirit during his recovery.

“Amazing,” Grosjean said. “When I saw the (first qualifying) group I was in, I was like, ‘Oh, dear, if we can get out of the first group, we’re going to be OK,’ and we did. That last few laps, we were on it. What a day for us.

“I’m happier than I have been in a very long time.”

Grosjean will lead the 25-car field to the green flag on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course Saturday afternoon. Live coverage of the 85-lap race starts at 2 p.m. (ET) on NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden will join Grosjean on the front row after a top lap of 1:09.5665 in the No. 2 Snap-on Tools Team Penske Chevrolet. It’s Newgarden’s best starting position this season.

Jack Harvey continued his strong start to the season by qualifying third at 1:09.6528 in the No. 60 AutoNation/Sirius XM Honda. Season-opening race winner Alex Palou will start fourth after a lap of 1:09.7118 in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda.

Scott McLaughlin was the second rookie in the Firestone Fast Six, and he will start a season-best fifth after a lap of 1:09.7140 in the No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. Conor Daly rounded out the top six at 1:09.8662 in the No. 20 MannKind Chevrolet, also his best qualifying performance this season.

This was the first INDYCAR pole for the Coyne team since 2018, when Sebastien Bourdais took the top spot at Phoenix Raceway.

“When you look at his resume and how great he was before he got into Formula One, and Formula One is such a team performance issue, we knew he could win races and we knew he could win poles,” team owner Dale Coyne said of Grosjean. “He’s proven it today.”

The Firestone Fast Six was almost as noteworthy for the drivers who didn’t make the cut as those who competed for the NTT P1 Award.

Four-time GMR Grand Prix pole winner Will Power didn’t advance to the final round after spinning between Turns 12 and 13 early during the second round of qualifying with a loose-handling No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet. 2014 series champion and three-time GMR Grand Prix winner Power will line up 12th, his lowest position in eight career starts in this event.

“At least we’re 12th – that’s better than St. Pete, 20th,” Power said. “It’s so crazy how the car can change so much from session to session. I made a mistake. I’m very frustrated at myself.”

A handful of other series heavyweights didn’t advance from the first round of qualifying, including the top two drivers in the championship standings, Scott Dixon and Pato O’Ward. Dixon will start 16th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, while O’Ward will line up 18th in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

Also starting in the back half of the field are 2016 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Alexander Rossi (14th), reigning Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato (17th), 2012 series champion and 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay (19th) and four-time INDYCAR SERIES champion Bourdais (20th).

Qualifying Friday for the GMR Grand Prix NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, time and speed in parentheses:

  1. (51) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 1:09.4396 (126.447 mph)
  2. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 1:09.5665 (126.216)
  3. (60) Jack Harvey, Honda, 1:09.6528 (126.060)
  4. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 1:09.7118 (125.953)
  5. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 1:09.7140 (125.949)
  6. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 1:09.8662 (125.675)
  7. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 1:09.8185 (125.760)
  8. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 1:09.8222 (125.754)
  9. (18) Ed Jones, Honda, 1:09.8548 (125.695)
  10. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 1:09.8722 (125.664)
  11. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 1:09.9060 (125.603)
  12. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, No Time (No Speed)
  13. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 1:09.8243 (125.750)
  14. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 1:09.9012 (125.612)
  15. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 1:09.8382 (125.725)
  16. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 1:09.9512 (125.522)
  17. (30) Takuma Sato, Honda, 1:09.8665 (125.674)
  18. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 1:10.0726 (125.304)
  19. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 1:09.8759 (125.657)
  20. (14) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 1:10.1830 (125.107)
  21. (11) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 1:10.6810 (124.226)
  22. (29) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 1:10.6174 (124.338)
  23. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 1:11.0455 (123.588)
  24. (4) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 1:10.9312 (123.788)
  25. (86) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 1:11.1370 (123.429)

Harvey Qualifies Third at Indianapolis

By
Official Release
-
#60: Jack Harvey, Meyer Shank Racing Honda, crew members

Indianapolis, Ind. (14 May 2021) – Returning to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and the site of his first-ever INDYCAR Series podium, Jack Harvey was aiming to surpass his best qualifying run (second – 2020) and go for pole position on Friday.

After showing good speed in practice and once again making it into the Firestone Fast Six, Harvey and the Meyer Shank Racing No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda will roll off the grid third for Saturday’s GMR Grand Prix (2:00pm ET, NBC).

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and Harvey just go together like any great pairing. Since making his debut at the 2.439-mile road course, Harvey has proven that the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda is a top contender among the fiercely competitive INDYCAR field.

Harvey scored his first INDYCAR Series podium at the iconic road course in 2019 (third) and he returns to the track with an eye on a breakthrough result this weekend.

Morning practice on Friday was a strong start for Harvey and the MSR crew, with the Brit closing out the session second fastest. The afternoon practice saw equally as strong pace for Harvey, closing out the practice run sixth.

Knowing the strength of his Honda powered Indy Car, Harvey went into qualifying with one thing in mind: pole position. Harvey advanced the No. 60 Honda through the first two qualifying rounds, resulting in Harvey making his ninth career appearance in the Firestone Fast Six.

With just six minutes on the clock in the final qualifying round Harvey idled in pit lane until being released to clock in two hot laps. Improving on his initial lap, Harvey ultimately finished third after posting a 1:09.652-second lap. Harvey has yet to qualify below seventh at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

“Everyone at Meyer Shank Racing has been working really hard to have a good performance here,” said Harvey. “We started strong and there’s only one way to go, and that’s to keep going forward or at least maintain that pace. The team made good changes from each session to keep us competitive going into qualifying. Congratulations to Romain (Grosjean), that was an incredible lap that he put down and it shows just how competitive the field is. The No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda should have a good shot at tomorrow’s race and now we just need to execute.”

The GMR Grand Prix will be broadcast live on NBC starting at 2:00pm ET with the green flag set to fly at 2:30pm ET. Additional radio coverage will be available on SiriusXM Ch. 205.

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